In your day-to-day life, pasta can be a pretty practical vehicle to pack some extra vegetables into your daily diet. It also presents an opportunity to meal prep or batch cook, because it reheats easily and can also be flash frozen to warm up later during the week, when in a pinch and looking for a hearty, quick dinner. But what I’m focusing on today, is dressing up pasta for special occasions, like a holiday meal!
Quinoa salads are life-saving, great-tasting dishes for the upcoming holiday season. They feed a crowd on minimal prep time, and are easily customizable to your audience. Because the holidays are fast approaching, I am rolling out all the bright and bold, red and green, hearty and easy dishes imaginable. Let’s face it; as exciting and joyful as this time of year may be, it can also be a little stressful. Especially if you’re hosting; that’s a game-changer, for sure.
This summer, I ate my weight in fresh and healthy pasta salads which got you guys (very) excited about the pasta possibilities once more. This autumn, I am back with more nutritious dishes that are hearty, cozy, and feature the BEST array of authentic seasonal vegetables. Cue in creamy, roasted cinnamon butternut squash and crispy,…… Continue reading Roasted Butternut Squash and Balsamic Brussels Chickpea Fusilli
My well-documented obsession with macaroni and cheese began somewhere in the mid-1990’s when my mom (an avid home cook herself; who makes absolutely everything from scratch) decided to relinquish into my begging for the coveted blue box of cheesy noodles. I clearly remember shaking it up and down while imploring and the dry pasta was making the most annoying maraca-like sound you can fathom.. I grabbed another box off the shelf and had one on each hand and I was shaking them as to say “please” a little louder.
Let’s be honest; Napa Valley has always been on my bucket list of top travel destinations. I’m a little bit of a red wine aficionado and the thought of the rolling valleys and green hills of wine county in hot and sunny California have always made me want to venture out there. When the California…… Continue reading Prune, Mushroom, Leek & Buckwheat Risotto
Creamy, dreamy cold pasta salad that will change your outlook on pasta possibilities. As opposed to using mayo or Greek yogurt (an often-used healthier mayo substitute) I decided to go back to my roots (quite literally) and use HUMMUS. Yep, you read that correctly. Creamy, chickpea-powered protein goodness in lieu of eggs and canola oil. I can’t tell you how good it tastes, but it tastes even better with a few drops of Tabasco or your favorite picante sauce.
Alright. Summer is officially here! And that can only mean barbecues, gatherings, potlucks- AKA: all sorts of events involving family, friends and good FOOD. If you’re anything like me, I am always asking- “What could I bring?” and then trying to think of something most people can enjoy and would be easy, hearty and healthy. You know what else I consider? Recipes that can be easily doubled to feed a crowd and go well with whatever food your host has prepared. Check and check! This recipe honestly goes well with pretty much, anything! I’ve yet to meet someone who’s tried it and turned away from it. It’s got the right mix of flavors and spices. It’s not spicy, it’s just flavorful and you can’t stop eating it.
Stole a pesto my heart! OK, sorry (not sorry). All bad jokes and puns aside, I declare this to be the creamiest, dairy-free pesto I’ve ever tried. Why? Thanks to avocado, that miracle worker which takes the place of cheese and rocks it! I’ve been making basil, Romano cheese and walnut pesto for years; yet I never thought of adding avocado to the mix -until one fateful day… my NYC friend, Chef Carla, sent me a recipe from EatingWell. I’ve modified the proportions a bit; but the same idea holds: basil, avocado, walnuts, fresh lemon, garlic and pink sea salt. Oh, and a food processor!
Mushroom and light cream truffle pasta has ma’ heart. This one is completely dairy-free and get’s that cheesy light truffle cream sauce taste from none other than… C-A-S-H-E-W-S. Yep, you read that right; (insert bold letters and conspicuous spacing :P). The same good ol’ raw cashews I make vegan cheesecake from. The same handful of raw cashews that make my smoothies denser and creamier. The same cashews that I use for my cashew cream cheese spread. Starting to make sense? Cashews are the best source of cheesy goodness, aside from cheese itself. You will love!
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